Conventionally, this type of hanging transportation apparatus is, for example, utilized in a production line for an automotive vehicle, wherein a hanger loading an automotive vehicle body is tilted so as to change the direction of the automotive vehicle body with respect to a worker, thereby improving the assembling working efficiency.
There is disclosed in Japanese Patent 54-38393 a mechanism for tilting a hanger of a hanging transportation apparatus. This hanger tilt mechanism (not shown) is installed on a floor and is engaged with a hanger of the hanging transportation apparatus which travels when the hanger moves into a working location so that the hanger can be tilted in this engaged condition.
Moreover, a hanger tilt mechanism (not shown) described in Japanese Patent 54-43798 is constructed in such a manner that a pinion as provided on a hanger of a hanging transportation apparatus which travels, when the hanger moves into an assembly location, is meshed with a rack which is fixed near a rail on which the hanging transportation apparatus travels, so as to tilt the hanger in accordance with a traveling movement of the hanging transportation apparatus.
However, these known hanger tilt mechanisms include the following problems.
These hanger tilt mechanisms are fixedly installed at a place along a traveling path of the hanging transportation apparatus and are constituted to tilt the hanger from the outside of the hanging transportation apparatus. Therefore, it is not possible to tilt the hanger at a place other than the installation place of the hanger tilt mechanism.
Latter hanger tilt mechanisms are constituted so as to tilt the hanger by utilizing the traveling movement of the hanging transportation apparatus. Therefore, it is not possible to tilt the hanger to a desired tilt angle when the hanging transportation apparatus is not traveling.
To resolve the above problems encountered in the above-described prior art, the present invention provides a hanger tilt mechanism for a hanging transportation apparatus in which a carrier traveling along a rail is equipped with a hanger having a circular arc-shaped portion so as to be tiltable, the carrier being further equipped with a driving motor, and a tilt means which transmits rotational force of the driving motor to the circular arc-shaped portion and tilts the hanger.
The driving motor actuates the tilt means, and the tilt means transmits a rotational force of the driving motor to the circular arc-shaped portion so as to tilt the hanger to reach a desired tilt angle.